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On 19 December 1941, In New Zealand’s worst naval tragedy, the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Neptune struck enemy mines and sank off Libya. Of the 764 men who lost their lives, 150 were New Zealanders. · In early 1941, New Zealand provided crew for the Leander-class light cruiser HMS Neptune, which was to serve alongside the New Zealand-crewed HMS Achilles and Leander. The Neptune headed to the Mediterranean to replace naval losses suffered during the…

Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan are set to discuss a merger, amid stiff competition from the likes of Tesla and BYD. They'll explore operating jointly under a holding company, and possibly even bring Mitsubishi into the mix. · Nikkei Asia reported that both companies confirmed reports of the upcoming talks. Nissan said it is considering "various aspects of future collaboration" with Honda and Mitsubishi, "including the contents of the…

This holiday, take some time out and read some of the Books That Took Home This Year’s Biggest Literary Prizes · Percival Everett nabbed the National Book Award and Samantha Harvey bagged the Booker, but they weren’t the only writers who struck gold this year. · Yes, from the Pulitzer to the Nebula, the PEN/Faulkner to the Edgar, here are the winners of the biggest book prizes of 2024. · PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION · Awarded for…

There is something about strawberries that says Christmas in New Zealand. The bright red, sweet summertime berry is in full season mid-December and there are plenty to go around. In some places you can even pick your own. They are beautiful just as they are, with whipped cream or dipped in Chocolate or try some of the below recipes to mix things up a bit this Christmas. They are easy enough to even get the kids involved! · Ingredients · - OREO…

Christmas Tree Potatoes · Here is a fun idea for the Christmas table - give the roast potato side dish a festive flair by giving them a Christmas tree shape. · Ingredients: ·     12 New Season potatoes, Perlas or similar ·     2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ·     6 sprigs rosemary (lower leaves removed) · Method ·     1.   Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes…

On December 18, 1642 Abel Tasman’s Dutch East India Company expedition had the first known European contact with Māori. It did not go well. · After Tasman first sighted New Zealand on 13 December, his two ships sailed up the West Coast and around Farewell Spit. On the 18th they anchored north of what is now Abel Tasman National Park. The local inhabitants of Mohua were Māori of Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri. Two waka paddled out to inspect the strange…

The government’s financial outlook has deteriorated, with no surplus expected until at least 2029, according to Treasury’s Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (Hyefu). · This delay pushes back the earlier forecast of a surplus by 2027/28. Treasury has attributed the worsening fiscal situation to declining productivity, slower economic growth, and lower-than-expected tax revenue. · To cover the shortfall, the Government plans to issue $2b more…

The John Tamihere-led Te Whānau O Waipareira Trust Group’s 2023/24 financial report reveals net assets soaring to $103.8m—more than double their value four years ago. · The trust achieved a record net surplus of $20.6m, amounting to 24% of its revenue, which Kiwiblog’s David Farrar describes as “astonishing” for a taxpayer-funded charity. · “Only seven of the top 100 companies in NZ have a higher profit as a share of revenue,” Farrar observes.…

Traffic in the vicinity of Antarctica has become a bit trickier now that A23a, the world's oldest and largest iceberg, has broken free of its watery trap north of the South Orkney Islands and is floating northward on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. · The annoying thing about icebergs is that, though they are magnificent giant things and have had a significant impact on human events (ask the Titanic), for all their size they are rather…

Drones have another weapon in the arsenal thanks to "Crazy Li" Xiao: lasers. Not just lasers, but ones powerful enough to vaporize human tissue on contact and cut through metal. · We've seen plenty of directed energy weapons lately designed to take down drone threats in combat operations – now, it seems, the drones have some lasers of their own. · The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post just posted an article that begins like this: · "A…